Central Station definitely has a familiar story, but the execution is so great, grounded and subtle that the film still ended up being fantastic. Fernanda Montenegro shines here with such a powerhouse performance, the direction is also phenomenal as are the editing, cinematography and score. But the character development and interactions are so strong that I felt like I've just met Josue and Dora and thus that beautiful ending moved me even more. It's such a wonderful film and a major Brazilian classic.

Central Station definitely has a familiar story, but the execution is so great, grounded and subtle that the film still ended up being fantastic. Fernanda Montenegro shines here with such a powerhouse performance, the direction is also phenomenal as are the editing, cinematography and score. But the character development and interactions are so strong that I felt like I've just met Josue and Dora and thus that beautiful ending moved me even more. It's such a wonderful film and a major Brazilian classic.

"Central do Brasil" tells the story of a nine-year-old Brazilian boy in search of his delinquent father, along with an old spinster he meets at the train station where his mother was tragically killed. The spinster is embittered due to her past, the boy is very mouthy due to never having had a father figure in life: neither of both characters loses their quirks throughout the film, although gradually gaining sympathy for each other over time.
The movie gives off a rather artistic vibe, a style to which the story lends itself more than to any other. Mind my words though: "artistic" and "phenomenal" aren't synonymous, as this movie contains a handful of flaws, most noticeably in its frame composition. Individually, the cinematography in each shot is appreciable (apart from the scene where the protagonist's mother is killed, which I found to be portrayed VERY amateurishly); sadly, there oftentimes is little cinematographic coherence between different camera angles or scenes, which really takes away from the overall experience. What's more, is that the final quarter of the film seems like it was directed by a wholly different person than the previous three were.
I'd recommend watching this movie because of its story and the uniqueness thereof, albeit pretty appalling concerning cinematography at times.

"Central do Brasil" tells the story of a nine-year-old Brazilian boy in search of his delinquent father, along with an old spinster he meets at the train station where his mother was tragically killed. The spinster is embittered due to her past, the boy is very mouthy due to never having had a father figure in life: neither of both characters loses their quirks throughout the film, although gradually gaining sympathy for each other over time.
The movie gives off a rather artistic vibe, a style to which the story lends itself more than to any other. Mind my words though: "artistic" and "phenomenal" aren't synonymous, as this movie contains a handful of flaws, most noticeably in its frame composition. Individually, the cinematography in each shot is appreciable (apart from the scene where the protagonist's mother is killed, which I found to be portrayed VERY amateurishly); sadly, there oftentimes is little cinematographic coherence between different camera angles or scenes, which really takes away from the overall experience. What's more, is that the final quarter of the film seems like it was directed by a wholly different person than the previous three were.
I'd recommend watching this movie because of its story and the uniqueness thereof, albeit pretty appalling concerning cinematography at times.

Warm and deeply moving, this is not your typical road movie but a wonderful drama that will make you laugh, cry and in the end feel like you got to know these characters and shared this unique experience with them - a merit also of its two magnificent central performances.

Warm and deeply moving, this is not your typical road movie but a wonderful drama that will make you laugh, cry and in the end feel like you got to know these characters and shared this unique experience with them - a merit also of its two magnificent central performances.